Budgetary snag slows road hump installation in Belville

Published: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 10:20 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 10:20 p.m.

Nancy Johnson wants no part of the 4-inch speed hump 64 feet in front of her North Olde Towne Wynd home.

Meanwhile, at least three other residents who spoke at Monday’s Belville Board of Commissioners meeting want the traffic control devices immediately in front their houses.

“My kids can’t even go in the front yard. My little boy likes to run down to the ditch, and it’s gonna be a bad day when somebody wrecks into the ditch and hits my little kid,” said Brad Fly, who offered to pay for the structure himself.

Because the project’s planning is over budget, though, the installation of three or four of eight originally planned speed humps in Olde Towne could be delayed or even omitted entirely.

“The fact of the matter is I did not plan the budget appropriately,” said Joe Breault, the commissioner who is heading up the project.

The town originally allotted $17,000 for the installation of three speed humps, but when it approached the N.C. Department of Transportation with the project, it learned it needed to install eight humps to accomplish what it wanted to. That increase in the number of structures, as well as increased engineering costs, have caused the project to be $10,000 over budget.

Breault has asked the engineers to review their hourly fees, but even if that assessment is in the town’s favor it would only be able to afford five of the eight planned structures.

Plans aren’t the only part of the project that’s been faulty, though.

The one speed hump that has been installed is 4 inches high and, residents maintain, forces traffic to slow down to 20 to 25 miles per hour. It was supposed to be 2 inches high, letting traffic stay at the posted 35 miles per hour, and the town has reached out to the contractor to fix the problem.

Others say they’re fine with the higher speed humps.

“I don’t think slowing down 10 miles an hour or 15 miles an hour to keep a child or a pet or an adult safe is too much to ask,” said Jeff Gaskill, an Olde Towne resident.

The board will also hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. May 6 at town hall to discuss the purchase of a new town hall facility. Jim Eldridge, the town’s attorney, said the contracts for the Waterford condominium are nearly completed, but there is still some work to be done on the paperwork for some land on Poole Road.

At that meeting, the board will also discuss how to handle the speed hump dilemma, with commissioners expressing interest in finding a way to pay for all eight humps.